In My Bones
by xxsweetestdownfall
Summary: Jackunzel One-Shot. What happens when a boy meets a girl who won't be around for much longer?


**In My Bones**

**A Jackunzel One-Shot**

The first time he saw her was during one of his hospital visits. He spent most of his time outside, and so broken bones were the consequences. As the nurse wrapped his arm up, his gaze shifted to the window. A girl with very long, golden hair was walking around the grounds. She was wearing a spring dress, and sliding along with her an IV line. She was truly breathtaking.

~.~.~.

The second time he saw her was at the food court about a month later. He had sprung his ankle when he jumped down from a tree and landed wrong. As he limped along on the standard hospital crutches, he caught sight of her sitting by herself. He grabbed his sandwich and soda and made his way over to her.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked.

She looked up at him, startled. A small smile crept across her face and she nodded.

"How did you hurt your leg?" she asked. Her voice was small and soft.

Jack finished his mouthful before responding. "I was fighting a dragon," he said, his face serious. The girl giggled.

"What sort of dragon?"

"Well a fire-breathing one, of course!"

Her laugh floated onto his ears melodiously. He didn't want her to stop.

"I had to rescue a princess," he continued, "Locked up in a tower."

The girl's smile faded a bit. He wasn't sure what he had said wrong. Before he had a chance to say anything else, a beeper went off. The blonde looked down at her pager and sighed.

"I've got to go, it's time for my medication," she said, excusing herself. "It was nice talking to you!"

"You too," he responded, waving to her as she left.

~.~.~.

Throughout his days at school, his thoughts wandered to her. Who was that girl? He kicked himself for not asking her name. He didn't see her around at school, so she either didn't live in the area or she spent all her time at that hospital. He was guessing the latter. It was only a few weeks later that he went back to visit, but this time he didn't need a cast. He clutched the small bouquet of spring flowers tightly to his chest.

What was he doing? He barely knew her.

_It's a good humanitarian thing to do anyways_, he convinced himself as he walked to the front desk.

"Hi, how can I help you?" the receptionist asked, her tone flat.

"Um, I'm looking for someone."

"Name?"

"I, uh, I don't actually know."

She gave him an odd look.

"She's a bit shorter than me, _really_ long, blonde hair?"

The woman smiled knowingly as she shifted through some papers. "Room 304," she said.

"Thanks!"

When he arrived, she was sleeping. There was no one else in the room, so he let himself in. She looked peaceful and very, _very_ tired. He decided not to wake her up. Instead, he grabbed a nearby napkin and pen and wrote, "_To a beautiful princess, trapped in a tower. From, your dragon-slaying knight_." He set the note and the flowers down on the table beside her. Smiling, he left the room. He made a mental note to come back again the next day.

~.~.~.

Over the next few weeks he spent all his extra time at the hospital. He learned that her name was Rapunzel, that she loved springtime and all the colors of the rainbow, and especially the fresh air outdoors. They would walk around the grounds, eat lunch together, and she even shared with him some of her artwork. He couldn't help but notice that she never got visitors, and the thought made him sad. She was such a bubbling, happy person. Certainly someone cared about her?

"My parents died a long time ago," she explained one day. Her tone was soft and laced with longing. "I was four at the time. I lived with my aunt up until about a year ago."

He took her hand in his, meeting her eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that, it must have been terrible. Do you mind telling me what happened?"

"Car accident. It took them and the person who collided with them. There were no survivors."

His gaze shifted downwards.

"But it's okay," she assured him. "I'll be seeing them soon."

He looked up, startled. "What do you mean?"

"Do you like my hair?"

It was an odd question, and it caught him off guard. He was used to her constant shifting of focus and her questioning personality, and he learned it was best to just go with it.

"Yeah, it's gorgeous. Why?"

Her eyes filled with sadness as she slowly ran her hand through it. Before he knew what was happening, there was a heap of gold at her feet. He looked back up to see short, brown hair and pleading eyes.

"You look beautiful." The words escaped his mouth before he had a chance to think. She blinked, and another one of her trademark smiles spread across her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered.

~.~.~.

He held her hand. Her face was full of pain, and he wished to God he could have taken her place. Months had gone by since she revealed the truth to him. She had bone cancer, and it was terminal. At least, it had been for a year. He remembered how she told him about the way she baffled even the most elite specialists. For some reason, she just kept breathing, kept living even though she should be dead. They had tried chemo for a while, but after too many unsuccessful rounds they decided to stop. She had begged them to let her be. She accepted her fate, and she wanted to enjoy what little of life she had left.

"Jack?"

Her whimper brought him reeling back to the present.

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For everything."

She closed her eyes as the life drained slowly out of her body. He let the tears fall freely, sad to see her go. She was like a ray of sunshine in his life. She showed him a million new ways to see the world and enjoy what life was all about. In that moment, he realized why she had stayed alive far past the doctor's expectations. They were supposed to meet. They were supposed to become friends, and if time had allowed, a step further. She was supposed to show him the secrets of the world and he was supposed to comfort her in her time of loneliness.

"No, thank _you_," he whispered. "Thank you for everything."

~.~.~.

**Author's Note:**

**Okay I know I've been doing a bunch of sad stuff lately, I'm sorry. Just been feeling really depressed. Plus, I've always wanted to do an AU where Rapunzel has cancer, you know because of the whole hair change thing. Hope you all enjoyed, your feedback is appreciated. :)**


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